Hairdresser Peter Tuttle only has one thing on his mind this Christmas – and that’s for his new single to reach number one.
The 61-year-old grandad, from Norwich, began songwriting during the pandemic with the release of In My Bubble – a song about personal struggles during isolation.
Since then, Peter has released a number of singles, including his latest track Christmas Time (On My Mind), which he believes could reach the top of the charts.
Of course, he’ll have some competition with a surprise Netflix song in the race alongside Kylie Minogue with her new festive banger, and the usual favourites like Mariah Carey and Wham.
Speaking to Metro, Peter said: ‘I started taking my songwriting seriously in lockdown through total boredom as I am a hairdresser who couldn’t find work.
‘The first three songs I wrote went down really well in Norfolk… but that’s where it ended.’
Christmas Time (On My Mind) is about Peter’s dad, who he described as a ‘hero’.
Anthony Tuttle died aged 28 from disease while serving as a Royal Marines Commando in Brunei in 1968. Peter was only four at the time.
As a grandad himself today, the hairdresser-turned-singer-songwriter has reflected throughout the years on what his life would be like if he had grown up knowing his father.
Peter, who was born in Singapore, told us: ‘The objective of the song was to keep his memory alive and getting it out there for the general public to hear could give it longevity.
‘It’s a very hard thing for a grown man to sing a song about missing his dad and I think I probably hid it behind a Christmas theme.’
He added: ‘I would love for it to get somewhere in the charts but without getting your music out there you’ll never know.’
Christmas Time (On My Mind) tells the story of Peter’s loss.
It begins the year of his father’s death, when Peter was just a young boy, and imagines ‘what we would have done on that last Christmas’ together.
The song also explores what their relationship might look like today as Peter wonders whether his father would recognise him as his son.
The last verse, in which Peter wonders whether Anthony knew it was his last Christmas, was ‘hardest of all’ to write.
Peter’s message to his father is that ‘I’m doing okay’ despite losing him at such a young age, which was ‘such a trauma’.
The hairdresser has been told by several people that ‘I look more like him than anyone’.
He said the song is ‘mixing thoughts of my dad with Christmas’ as he nevergot the opportunity to meet the real him.
Peter has three daughters and four grandchildren. He said he has a ‘strong bond’ with his family as he was a young dad himself and that he has fond memories of Christmas with them when they were younger.
The singer-songwriter told Metro that his favourite Christmas songs were George Michael’s Last Christmas and Sir Paul McCartney’s Wonderful Christmastime.
Christmas Time (On My Mind) is available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube.
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